Quentine McCurdy

Her Story

Quentine McCurdy (nee Curtis) was born January 2, 1932, in Selma, Alabama.  On December 26, 2024, she answered God’s call to come home.  She was raised by parents Rafe and EaryDean (nee Boney) Curtis who moved her to Cleveland, Ohio at the age of four. 

She was educated in the Cleveland Public School System.  Quentine received training in fabrics, design, tailoring, and pattern making at the Clark School of Dressmaking and Design in Cleveland, Ohio as she worked in Cleveland’s garment district.  She also worked for several years in the East Cleveland City School District as the first African American teacher’s aide in the first Head Start Program in East Cleveland, and later as the first African American woman to serve as the Director of Korb Lounge, which was the Activities Center at Shaw High School.

She accepted Christ as her personal Savior at a young age, and was baptized at Mt. Gillion Baptist Church in Cleveland, OH, where she sang in the choir and served on the Usher Board under the pastorate of Rev. William Ingram, Sr.  Quentine was married in 1947, and this marriage produced two children, Antoinette (Toni) and Terrance (Terry).  The Lord sent Quentine a second husband, Henry George McCurdy, and this union produced a third child, Henry George Peter.

In 1983, Quentine united with Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Cleveland, OH under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Earl Preston Jr. where she served in the Flower and Altar Guild, Women’s Fellowship Mission Ministry and anywhere else an extra hand was needed.  She also served as Co-Chair of the wardrobe committee for the renowned production of The Living Cross from the mid 80’s through the early 90’s, produced by Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church.  Upon moving to Lorain County, she united with Second Baptist Church in Elyria under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Carl P. Small, where she served as a member of the Senior Mission and the Mothers, Deaconess, and Minister’s Wives Ministry, as the Sunshine person even as her health kept her from attending service in person. 

Quentine was preceded in death by her God-sent husband, Henry George McCurdy, parents, Rafe and EaryDean Curtis, her son, Terrance McCurdy, her only brother, John Lee Boney and her son-in-law, Vaughn Carl Thompson.

She leaves to cherish her memory; daughter, Antoinette Thompson of Sheffield Village, H.G. Peter (Crystal) McCurdy of Seven Hills, OH; daughter-in-law, Pamela McCurdy of Marietta, GA; grandsons, Vaughn Christopher (Natasha) Thompson of Silver Spring, MD, Brian Carl (Carissa) Thompson of Lorain, OH and Omar Hasan McCurdy of San Antonio, TX; granddaughter, Hannah Celeste McCurdy; great-grandson, Thaddeus James Thompson; great-granddaughters, Omaria McCurdy, and Adina Joy Thompson.  Two nephews, three nieces, and as always said, “cousins by the dozens”; a host of bonus sons and daughters, and her friends from Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church and Shiloh Baptist Church both in Cleveland, OH, and her Second Baptist Church family.

Over the years her mantra became “Jesus, I thank you for my journey!”

Lord, we thank you for blessing us to share her journey, Amen.

Visitation will be Monday, January 6, 2025, at Second Baptist Church, 427 Chapman Lane, Elyria, OH at 10:00 am. The Celebration of Life will begin at 11:00 am.

Live streaming on Facebook at Second Baptist Church of Elyria page.

Services entrusted to Carter Funeral Home, Inc.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Quentine McCurdy, please visit our floral store.